Despite what they say, I can prove I’m getting smarter as I get old(er)!

What’s this about us losing our brain cells as we get older? I don’t believe it and I certainly don’t believe it when my kids so lovingly say to me, “Mom, your short-term memory is s***!” Nope! I’m getting smarter as I get older. I’ll prove it.

1. My hemispheres are communicating.Our brain has two hemispheres and studies show that young people only use one side and us “middle-aged” and “older” people like to fire up both at the same time. Hey, we’ve learned to communicate in our brains. Take that youngsters – you got about 30 years of learning to “communicate!”

2. My big brain is getting bigger.We gain weight as we get older and that weight gain is our brain! Scientists have shown that we not only hang on to our neurons as we get older, we grow new ones. And, the brain is continually reshaping itself … even for us AARP-qualifying folks! Point #2 (kicking a** now, right?).

3. My bigger brain is making better decisions. According to a study prepared for the Brookings Institute, middle-aged people make smarter money decisions than their younger counterparts. Right? Just give a kid a credit card and see what the freak happens!

4. I’m wearing my rose-colored glasses all the time.The world looks better as we get older. We just generally feel more positive and have greater emotional stability (except when we’re sitting in the passenger seat as our kids are learning to drive!). I’m on this one like white on rice!

5. We’ve got the “it” factor.“Mature adults” understand themselves much better and we get “it” – the flaws, the need to let go and the strength to solve interpersonal problems with less drama. In fact, as we get older we’re even able to size people up in a more accurate way. How cool is that??

6. We gain control of our emotions.Don’t you say, “Glad I’m not in my teens/20’s/30’s … ” Young people live a roller coaster of emotions. We’re more even-keeled. We know how to regulate our emotions and enjoy the ups and downs without melting into a puddle on the floor (Ok, not all the time, but sometimes I can do this!).

7. I’ll have another “experience” on the rocks.By “midlife” we’ve accumulated hundreds of experiences that help us gracefully move from one crisis to another. In fact, we have a name for drawing on our experience and it’s called wisdom. Kids, can you spell w-i-s-d-o-m?

Yup, I’m getting older and I’m ignoring anyone (kids, are you reading this???) who thinks I’m not getting smarter as I move along in years. And anyway, why would anyone try to mess with or argue to an old woman like me? I’ve still got the credit cards! 🙂